Category: Kansas City Chiefs

This is another game tainted by missing vital players — for both teams, in this case. No Devonta Freeman for the Falcons, no Richard Sherman and (possibly) Earl Thomas for the Seahawks.

That makes up for the letdowns in all the primetime games this weekend. No Aaron Rodgers on Sunday night, no Deshaun Watson on Monday night … and that Thanksgiving night matchup is strictly for those without good streaming service or recent DVDs. Even bootlegs (especially bootlegs) are acceptable.

But before looking ahead to the feast of week 12 games, let’s recap the NFL Africa performances in week 11, which was littered with close finishes and quite a few injuries.

Coming off a tough loss to the Detroit Lions, the Bears will play the NFC East leading Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Eagles will have receivers Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, and Nelson Agholor on the field and Amukamara will be called upon to disrupt their timing and, along with his teammates in the secondary, help bring about coverage sacks on Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.

When will Adam Gase realize Matt Moore is a better option than Jay Cutler at quarterback?

With at least 16 points in seven consecutive games and a sizable surge in offensive responsibility of late, Hood is one of these 27 players, as he’s averaging 20 points and a gaudy 3.2 3PG over this recent stretch of success. I’ve been banging this drum all season, and it appears the market is finally ready to appreciate Hood’s game.

The text was from DeShaun Lawrence, a friend Newton said has always told him he didn’t “have it in his repertoire” to score a rushing touchdown of at least 50 yards. So when Newton was caught from behind by Dolphins cornerback Cordrea Tankersley on a 69-yard run, Newton thought of his friend.

“He has been jinxing me for years,” Newton said. “All I kept thinking when I was running; I was hoping the Dolphins DB who tackled me would slip up, trip, something.

Paired with early Norris favorite Alex Pietrangelo at even strength, Edmundson has six goals and two assists to date. That’s impressive for a defenseman more revered for bringing an imposing and physical presence to the ice than his ability to score, so consider such production an added bonus from the player ranked third in the NHL in blocked shots with 58 (2.76 per game) if your fantasy league includes that category. Additionally, the pending return of veteran blueliner Jay Bouwmeester isn’t expected to impact Edmundson’s role.

Westbrook and George come from similar backgrounds: Both are from Southern California, were under-recruited underdogs and NBA lottery picks who drew skepticism, and are very connected with their families. Their personalities contrast but fit, with Westbrook loud, explosive and stubborn, and George reserved, smooth and cool.

Based on her three-year career average of 24.5 PPG, Mitchell needs 40 games — that means a Final Four run — to pass Plum, according to Riley Foreman of ESPN Stats & Info. Mitchell’s best single-season scoring total was 889 (26.1 PPG) as a sophomore. Even if she averaged that this season, she’d need 38 games to pass Plum.

But Mitchell and the Buckeyes might be most successful if she doesn’t have to carry quite that heavy a load. McGuff said Mitchell benefited from playing with USA Basketball this offseason — for the U23 team at the Four Nations tournament in Japan and at the senior national team training camp in California.

For years, West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen has been known as one of the most creative minds in football. This year, he has handed the play-calling reins over to his protégé Jake Spavital, and it has worked well: The Mountaineers sit fifth in the nation in total offense at 539 yards per game, after finishing 17th last year. This week Holgorsen faces one of his old bosses, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, in a reunion game of sorts.

I keep coming back to Ingles, who has had a very strong start to the season, aside from the Clippers game when he was sick. In 30-plus minutes per game, we can expect double-digit scoring with a few assists and/or steals. He already has five multi-steal games and a 2.2 steals/game average. The icing on the cake is that he matches up with a Mavericks team that currently ranks dead last in rebounding rate, potentially enhancing his production under the hoop.

After a sluggish start to the season, Jokic has recorded three double-doubles in a row, scoring at least 18 points in each of the last four games. He has a prime opportunity to put up a big game against Enes Kanter and the Knicks, who currently rank in the middle of the pack defensively, though in all honesty are probably more of a lower-end defense. Given Jokic’s affordable salary, he’s a strong value on Monday.

Beal was fined $50,000 for initiating the incident. Kelly Oubre Jr. was fined $15,000 for aggressively entering the altercation. Markieff Morris, who is recovering from hernia surgery and was inactive for the game, and Carrick Felix were suspended one game each for leaving the bench.

On Saturday night, asked about calling plays before they happen: “That’s a tough question to answer. I don’t think I do it that often. I know the viral sensation of the world we live in, with social media everywhere. But I only do it maybe three times a game. I’m just trying to think along with the game, to say what I see. It comes down to years of experience, knowing the defense as well as the offense. It’s been natural for me to feel what the quarterback is thinking and feeling at the moment.

Mitchell also scored 28 points Sunday, and this should be the crowning season of her stellar career. The Cincinnati native enters the season with 2,553 points — 974 points shy of the NCAA Division I record of 3,527 set last year by Washington’s Kelsey Plum.

“The kid is so mature sometimes you want to check his birth certificate to check to see if he’s not really 25,” says Wisconsin running backs coach John Settle, a former NFL running back who has coached on four pro staffs and worked with backs ranging from Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams to Willis McGahee. When Taylor does bag drills, his position coach can’t even hear the 5′ 11″, 215-pounder’s feet touch the ground. “I’ve never seen a back like that,” Settle says.

Speaking of Wisconsin, as outstanding as the Badgers’ D has been (sixth in the nation in yards per game), imagine how much better it’d probably be if it hadn’t lost team captain Jack Cichy, one of the country’s top linebackers, to a torn ACL in August.